


For Just One Moment

by Destroyingtocreate



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Arguing, Future Fic, Happy Ending, Kid - Freeform, M/M, Sad with a Happy Ending, They still love each other, separated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-20 22:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14271090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destroyingtocreate/pseuds/Destroyingtocreate
Summary: Stiles and Derek have a child together. They are married but separated and want the other desperately. One weekend while their switching their daughter from one house to another, something changes, sparking an outcome they never expected.A little sad up until the very end.





	For Just One Moment

**Author's Note:**

> This was not supposed to turn into a monsterous 6700+ fic. But it did and I hope you enjoy it.

“You sure you have everything?” Stiles fuses with his six-year-old daughter’s backpack. He had already checked its contents four separate times. Not that she needed anything where she was going. Stiles just liked to make sure Sara was prepared for anything. Years trampling through the woods taught Stiles to carry everything, all the time.

“Yes, tata.” Sara says in annoyance. Getting her backpack tugged around was not fun the first time and definitely not the third or fourth. She loved her dad, but he always fussed with her too much on Friday’s. 

After so many weeks of Sara leaving for the weekend, someone would think Stiles would be chiller about it. It’s been three years and 16 weeks, or 172 weekends Sara has gone away for two days. Not a single one of those times has calmed Stiles down a bit.

“You have my number. It’s probably on daddy’s fridge, too. Call me if you need anything. Even if it’s the middle of the night. I’ll come get you.” Stiles bent in front of her to make sure she understood. 

Not a single time had Sara ever had to call her tata for any reason. She knew that her tata’s number was on the fridge. She also memorized Stiles’ cell phone number because he had said it was very important for emergencies. She was doubtful she would need it this weekend. Nothing bad ever happened to her, even when she got really sick. Sara didn’t need Stiles because Derek had been there to take care of her and he was extra good at it.

Sara shuts the car door and nods at her tata. She was used to the drill he gave before they switched her off. Stiles talking incessantly while they waited for Derek to show up. Stiles liked to be early on drop off days because they usually had time to play at the park. Burning some energy usually calmed Stiles down more than Sara. 

They weren’t so lucky to arrive early today. Derek was waiting two parking spaces over, leaning casually against his not-so-kid-friendly car. Stiles had told him repeatedly that it wasn’t safe, but he refused to listen for the sake of their child’s life. Derek said it was just as safe if not safer than Stiles’ death trap of a jeep. Stiles begged to differ.

Stiles held onto Sara’s hand and walked her over to Derek. Stiles crouched down for one last hug. He hated watching her leave. It always made for a long, sad, lonely weekend by himself where he sat around in his boxers and ate lucky charms straight from the box.

“Are you sure you can’t get ice cream with us, dad?” Sara says in her sweetest voice.

Stiles glances at Derek for a moment and back to her. “Honey, I don’t think daddy would like that very much. It’s your time to spend with him.” Stiles squeezed her arm, hoping she wasn’t disappointed. He knew she wished they could get along. 

Stiles should have worded that completely differently because Sara snaps her head up with hope and says, “Daddy, can tata come with us for ice cream? Pretty please?” She grabs Derek’s arm and jumps up and down in excitement.

It hurt to be near Derek. They got together far too young, Stiles just barely 18. By 21, they were married and filled for adoption. By sheer luck, they were approved because of some favor they owed someone or something and not long after were handed a one-year-old bundle of joy that they had gotten to know through foster care. Derek was unclear how it all happened. Everything was too much. He couldn’t keep up with the process or anything that Stiles had been doing. He wasn’t healed enough from his family’s deaths and trauma to raise a child, especially with someone he couldn’t agree with ever. 

He loved the little girl, but Stiles had gotten ahead of himself. They argued too much and butted heads on everything. It was useless to try. Suddenly, when Sara was three, they split apart. They agreed Stiles would get her for the weekdays since Derek couldn’t handle keeping her on a schedule and Derek would get her for the weekends. They agreed to her safety and well-being. But their pasts kept them from compromising with each other on almost everything that mattered. 

Stiles still loved Derek so much. Watching his daughter go with him every weekend really hurt because he was forced to look at Derek and speak with him; it only caused wounds to open up. Derek acted cool and collected by not moving and barely talking behind sunglasses. But it was the same for Derek. He had been the one to suggest a split, but it had been more of a test to see if Stiles really wanted it, if he was finally done with Derek. And it broke his heart to leave Stiles when the younger man nodded with tears in his eyes and said their split was final. Derek could leave.

Derek spent so many days in therapy, unable to handle the split and the loss of his daughter every day. It had been Stiles’ idea to get therapy, but at the time, Derek pushed back against it. Derek never thought Stiles would be right in therapy helping him so much. But it didn’t make the ache from Stiles leaving any better. Nothing could close that ache he felt every day.

Of course, Sara was making it harder for them to be apart. As she was getting older, she would corner them separately and suggest them all do things together like normal families. She had never asked when they were all together before. Derek’s heart squeezed, but he stayed still. Stiles seemed to freeze completely in his spot. Stiles should have known she’d jump on the chance to ask. 

“Please, daddy?” Sara gave her best puppy dogs.

Derek never knew when to say no to her. “If tata wants to go.” He cleared his throat as if he were extremely uncomfortable.

She jumps up and down and turns to Stiles still stuck in place. She squeals, “Tata?”

Stiles wasn’t sure how he lost control. He would be able to say no, but Derek agreeing to let Stiles come on their ice cream date tore him apart. Stiles glanced up at Derek. It was hard to see what he was feeling when sunglasses hid his eyes. For the first time in more than six months, Stiles spoke directly to Derek.

“Are you sure?” Stiles licked his lips. Stiles didn’t want to say no as it meant more time with his little girl, but if Derek didn’t want him to go, he would decline the offer.

“We can take my car and come back for yours.” Derek states trying to sound casual but tension held his tongue.

“Yay!” Sara screams and hugs Stiles, then Derek. “I get my dad’s!” She turns herself around in a dance.

Derek buckles her in quickly, pulling the strap to make sure it’s safe. He holds the door open for Stiles who fumbles and trips to slide into the Camaro. The last time Stiles had been in it, Derek and Stiles had been doing something not appropriate for children. Stiles shutters at the thought. It wasn’t like that anymore. They couldn’t have fun in the backseat anymore. It was for children’s car seats and groceries.

Derek slides into the driver’s seat while Sara asks, “What kind of ice cream are you gonna get tata?” 

“Mint chocolate chip with peanut butter dip on a waffle cone.” Stiles speaks fondly, almost drooling at the thought of his favorite ice cream hitting his tongue.

A small noise comes from Derek while a small, tight smile plays at his lips. Stiles side eyes him, curious as to what Derek was thinking. Maybe Derek was laughing at him.

“What?” Stiles lets slip, his big mouth speaking what his mind didn’t want to relay. He didn’t mean to speak to Derek either. He mostly wanted to ignore him.

“Nothing.” Derek smiles bigger, failing to hold himself together. “It’s just-“

“I like mint chocolate chip with peanut butter, too!” Sara crows in excitement. 

“Because your tata fed it to you as a baby. You ate it more than you ate your peas.” Derek looks in the review mirror, adjusted to see her instead of the road.

“I would know that if I got to take her for ice cream.” Stiles pouts and looks sadly out the window.

Derek luckily parks and turns to stare at Stiles. “You can take her any time you want.” Derek sounds defensive and angry.

Stiles should be the one that’s angry. Derek gets all the time with her to do fun activities while Stiles gets her for school days when they can’t go out.

“She doesn’t need ice cream twice in a week. She needs real food, something healthy. I have to give her some normalcy when she goes to your house and eats junk for two days.”

Derek can’t help it when he laughs out loud, more like spits out forced laughter. “You have to be fucking kidding me.” He hits the steering wheel with the palm of his hand as he laughs more.

Stiles finally turns to stare at Derek like he’s gone mad. “What’s your problem?”

“Stiles,” Derek turns back to him, the both of them staring at the other. “You don’t know what I do in my house. I don’t ask what you do in yours. Leave your judgement outside my car.”

“When it comes to my daughter, I do care what happens over there. Eating boxes of chocolate goes against everything we do at our house.”

“Wait,” Derek stops him. “I don’t feed her boxes of chocolate. I have never fed her more than one piece of candy at a time, in a day. Stop insinuating what happens at my house.”

“Sara said you fed her a box of chocolate last weekend.” Stiles fights back, serious about the argument now. Stiles had been so mad when Sara had told him about the candy consumption. He had been tempted to call Derek to yell at him, but he held it in. Stiles had thought he had moved passed it, but apparently he was still just as angry.

“She’s probably talking about the yogurt covered raisins. She thinks their candies.” Derek doesn’t calm down in his attack. He actually sounds insulted.

Stiles slides back into his seat and licks his lips in thought. “Oh.” He doesn’t have anything more to say. He shouldn’t have attacked Derek in front of Sara. He also should have raised the topic a little better than that. Accusing Derek of something only made him look crazy.

Derek stares at him for a few more breaths and turns around to Sara who is just staring out the window like nothing was going on. “Who’s ready for some ice cream?”

~~~

They seem to calm down as they sit with the cones. Sara sits happily between her dads, kicking her feet and letting ice cream run down her chin into a puddle on the table. Derek does that he can not to reach out and wipe up the mess. He knows it’s good for her to get messy sometimes.

Stiles suddenly feels overwhelmed. He wasn’t sure how they got there, two separated dads raising a child. Stiles and Derek had always fought, but that’s what drew them together. They hit each other with sarcasm and witty remarks. That was the Stiles and Derek way. And somehow marriage mixed them up, rushing them into a life they weren’t ready for. A piece of paper should not have changed things so much for them. They were domesticated before the marriage. They lived together and worked around each other well, but paper changed who they were.

Derek notices Stiles’ melting ice cream and still body.

“What’s wrong?” Derek licks his ice cream, trying to sound casual as he asks. He cares for Stiles but he doesn’t want him to know that. 

Derek’s voice startled Stiles from his momentary crisis. The last time they actually talked, Stiles had to remind Derek of the dosage amount for Sara’s medication. They never spoke, avoiding each other as much as possible. So to hear his voice, Stiles was surprised. Stiles pretty much thought he made up Derek’s voice most of the time.

Stiles, no matter what, always spoke his mind even if he didn’t want to. It was often more a curse than a blessing. “Just can’t understand how we got here.” He sighs out loud.

Derek stopped licking his ice cream too. It was often something he thought of. None of it made sense. One minute they were arguing about going to Scott’s wedding and the next, Stiles told him they needed to separate. And on top of it, they weren’t even divorced. They weren’t together, they had separate houses, but legally, for the last three years, they were technically still together. Derek waited every day for papers to show up and each day they didn’t come. 

He tries to play it dumb. “Sara asked us for ice cream, so we got in my car and came here. Simple.”

“Daddy, look, my ice cream looks like hair.” Sara waves her cone at him.

“That’s nice, Sara.” Derek cooed at her with a wide smile. He loved her art even if it was just ice cream.

“No, I mean here.” Stiles waves to the three of them. “How did we end up like this?” He looked thoughtfully at the table, almost sad looking. “I thought we were happy.”

Derek felt his saliva thicken in his throat. “Me too.”

Stiles snaps his head to look at Derek, surprised by the answer. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head, looking away. “Then what happened?” 

Derek sets his cone down unable to eat anymore. Derek wondered the same thing every day. “You asked to separate.” 

Stiles tilts his head to the side to hide tears but Derek sees them. It shouldn’t have ended like this. They shouldn’t have spent three years avoiding each other either. And there they sat, separated and miserable. At least they had more than Sara in common, Derek guessed.

“I didn’t think you’d want it.” Stiles whispers softly into the table. At some point he had leaned over the table and set his arms down as if to brace himself.

Derek only hears him because of his werewolf hearing. Stiles whispers so quietly, Sara probably doesn’t even hear him. She continues to happily lick her ice cream as she watches birds play in the parking lot. 

Derek speaks up when he answers aloud, making sure Stiles can hear him. “I didn’t want it. I was happy with arguing with you. But you were miserable. That’s why you asked me to leave.”

“I was happy. I liked our banter. But you weren’t ready for a family. You said so yourself. You didn’t want us anymore.” Stiles’ voice cracks when he says the last word.

It breaks Derek’s heart in two. It didn’t matter how many years apart they had, Stiles would always mean more than anything to Derek. Stiles wandered into his woods and the flapping fish mouth left an every lasting impression in Derek’s brain. No matter how much Derek tried to push him away, Stiles was there to stay. It hurt to know Stiles was hurting so much. It was okay for Derek to suffer, but not Stiles. He never wanted Stiles to hurt.

And it was true Derek hadn’t been ready for a family, the thought of his own dead family was still fresh for him. But each day was getting easier when Sara was young. By the time Stiles asked to separate, Derek liked the idea of the three of them together. He was finally getting used to them working together.

Derek reaches around Sara and places his hand on Stiles’ shoulder. Stiles startles at the contact but doesn’t push him away. He didn’t know what to say, but Derek thought that Stiles would know some of what it meant. They hadn’t touched since the separation. They were careful in never brushing. But Derek felt it necessary to grab Stiles at this moment.

“Why don’t you come have dinner with us?” Derek says.

“Really?” Sara jumps up on the seat. “Tata having dinner with us? The best day ever!” She punches her fist into the air.

Stiles nods, brushing away his tears. “If you’re sure. I don’t want to impose on your time with Sara.”

Finishing off their ice cream they climb back into Derek’s car. The two men are silent except to talk to their daughter who spins a story from the cafeteria. Stiles is drained, emotionally pained from the information he just received. He kept his head facing out the window, unsure how he would act if he looked at Derek. Stiles wasn’t sure why he agreed to do this in the first place.

When Derek had moved out, Stiles didn’t care where he moved to. It could have been the sewers for all he cared. It came as a shock when they pulled up to the Hale property with a three story house planted on it. Stiles was shocked enough, his mouth was hanging open at how beautiful and big it was.

“Daddy said he would build a pool for us soon.” Sara says proudly. “I can’t wait to swim. Can you swim tata?” 

Stiles nods slowly, closing his mouth. 

“Yeah, yeah, I was on the swim team for a year.” Stiles mutters looking at the wrap around porch, the same way Stiles had always wished he’d had. 

The house was amazing. Stiles had never seen Derek live anywhere but in squalor. The train station, the loft with the hole in the wall. Stiles had suggested to Derek that he build a new house, but Derek had snapped at him. Derek hadn’t been ready to deal with the pain. Stiles had left him alone after about the house.

“Your tata held me up in a pool for two hours once.” Derek spoke softly, looking fondly over the house he had built. 

It was on Stiles’ mind. That moment Derek had become paralyzed and Stiles was forced to keep them both floating to survive. Good times. Not something he wanted to fondly remember when he was supposed to hate Derek.

“That’s so cool! You’re the best, tata!” Sara unbuckled and stuffed herself in between her dads. 

Stiles had enough and got out of the car, pulling Sara with him. Stiles began to wonder if Derek talked about him all the time or if it was just nostalgia being together. Stiles never talked about Derek, mostly trying to forget him.

Derek watches after Stiles and their daughter. He walks behind them, looking at their hands held together, the most natural looking thing in the world. Derek couldn’t make sense why he asked Stiles to come over. It had been a thought to think of Stiles in the home, but a dream to actually watch him walk onto the porch he had known Stiles had wanted. This moment was surreal to Derek. 

The whole house was built for Stiles. A house with eight bedrooms and three baths, a basement that could be converted into two extra rooms, and an attic that was also big enough for two rooms if needed. There was nothing stored up there as Derek didn’t have anything. A porch off the master bedroom with a hot tub on it to soak in. Stiles wanted a whole hoard of children in a big house so it didn’t feel as lonely like when he was growing up. But it ended with a big house with just Derek swallowing his sorrows in.

Derek went to work making dinner while Stiles was showed around by Sara. He tried not to listen to their conversation, but the noise was taken greedily as it’s the only sound that’s been heard in five days. 

“This is my room.” Sara opens the door too quickly and it slams against the wall. “And I get my own play room, too!”

Derek doesn’t hear Stiles say anything, just the soft steps of his feet shuffling around behind her. Stiles had learned to walk quietly after being chased so often in his teenage years. He was almost completely silent. 

“These rooms are empty. Daddy says maybe some time we can build a castle in one and we are gonna fill this one with a ball pit!”

“This is daddy’s room. It’s boring, but look! It’s got a hot tub. He doesn’t let me go in it a lot because I’m little. Sometimes he lets it be cold so I can swim in it until he gets the pool.” 

This is daddy’s office. I never see him use it, but look,” 

Derek winces as Sara climbs the desk, slipping off for a second before catching herself. Stiles makes one of his many noises. 

“Sara, I don’t think you should climb-“

She talks over him. “This is a picture of all of us. Daddy keeps it right where he can see it. I just know it. See? I was three! Daddy told me so.”

Derek hears how proud she is. She talked so often about how she wished her dads were together. Derek didn’t have it in his heart to hurt her that the reality of it all was that the two of them would never be together again. Stiles’ heart rate picks up as she talks fondly for a moment. It was almost worrisome. But it wasn’t Derek’s place to worry anymore. Stiles took care of himself. 

“There’s more pictures on the fire place. There’s even one of my grandpa and grandma with people daddy calls my aunts. It’s a really old picture, so we have to be careful and not touch it.”

By the time the two finish their tour, Derek is finishing up plating their food. He had decided last minute on chicken with fresh veggies Kira brought over. He had wanted to make steak, but with Stiles there, it seemed like a bit much. The other two slid into their seats just in time for Derek to set their plates down.

“Did you wash your hands, Sara?” Derek raises an eyebrow, holding his finger over her fork before she could pick it up. 

“Well,” she cowers a little, guilty of not doing what she should. “I was showing tata around.”

“Go.” He shoos her. “Quickly before it gets cold.”

What Derek didn’t realize when he shooed her away that it left Stiles and him alone. Conversation used to be easy for them, now it was completely silent. Derek went to work cutting Sara’s food to at least keep his hands moving. Stiles didn’t seem to move at all, probably hoping he was invisible. 

“I, uh, didn’t know you had that picture of us on the mantel.” Stiles points towards the living room.

“Which one?” Derek was not freaking out. He wasn’t. Why was Stiles making him so nervous? 

“Oh, the, uh,” Stiles seemed to stumble for words. “When we went to Niagara Falls. With the lights in the background.”

“Oh.” Derek nods. “Lydia copied it from Facebook for me. She did a lot of the photos hanging up. Since I didn’t have any.”

“You could have asked for some. I would have given you…” Stiles trails off mid thought.

They’re silent for a while, listening to Sara sing through the house. It was such a nice sound compared to the normal quiet. Both men had questions they wanted to ask, but neither had the courage to speak up. It was a lot to take in, being in the same room together after so long.

“That uh, photo in your office, that’s the only copy. I thought I had lost it.” Stiles seems to be turning redder by the minute, embarrassed about nothing. 

Derek nods. “I can get a copy made. I’ll send it home with Sara Sunday.”

Stiles nods carefully and swallows loudly. The more he wants to say something, the more uncomfortable he became. He slid in his seat as if two inches would make him more at ease. Sara shut the water off and slips off her stool, halting her singing for a moment until its back as she leaves the bathroom.

She comes skipping back to the table unaware of the tension filling the room thicker than smoke. It’s almost sad how innocent she was. There was so much in the world she had to learn and it broke Derek’s heart that she would have to learn how cruel the world really was. 

“Derek, can I talk to you?” Stiles finally makes eye contact. 

Derek forgot how pretty Stiles’ eyes were. It was one of his favorite parts of Stiles. 

“Sure. Sara, how about you go eat in the living room? We’ll be right in.”

“Are you serious? We never eat in the living room! I am the luckiest girl in the world today.” 

She happily takes her plate without a second thought. The men hear the tv turn on signaling the okay to finally speak. 

Stiles immediately rushes into it. “Why did you invite me here? Why are there photos of me all over the house? And you can’t tell me that porch wasn’t made for me. You threw a fit when I asked you if you’d ever rebuild and here sits the house I always wanted. Derek,” Stiles begins to cry silently. “You didn’t want me. You didn’t want her.”

Derek, heartbroken, doesn’t let Stiles continue. It was too much to listen to the sadness coming from the man he still loved. Derek never wanted to hurt Stiles. He only ever followed what Stiles wanted.

“I did want you. I do… want you. You pushed me away. When I wasn’t ready, you jumped in with two feet and then you asked to separate. I didn’t want you to continue being miserable when I couldn’t get over my past. It wasn’t fair.” Derek shook his head like it would shake the pain from his head.

Stiles sat completely still, his chest rising and falling too quickly as he looked Derek over. Maybe he was looking for a sign or maybe was looking for the lie. He couldn’t move either way.

“I can’t do this.” Stiles breaks the silence, dropping his head to sob into his hands. 

Derek had never seen Stiles cry so much in the time he had known him. Stiles was the strong one. And Derek broke his heart again. No matter what Derek did, he always hurt the ones he loved the most. It was like a sickness. 

Derek knows he shouldn’t do it, but against all thought, he reaches out for Stiles. He barely gets a hand on Stiles before Stiles leans into his hand and begins to sob harder. 

Sara seems to hear him and comes running.

“Tata, what’s wrong?” She falls at his feet to look at his face. “What happened, daddy?”

Derek didn’t have an answer. He was as clueless as she was.

“I can’t even have my family because I’m a monster. Derek thinks I hate him and Sara would rather be here than with me. I’m the worst husband and father there is.”

Stiles was mostly talking to himself, but it still hurt Derek. He felt the exact same way. He was all his fault they couldn’t be a normal family. If he could have just let go of control and gone to therapy before all the mess, they could still be together. And here they were, two houses, shared custody, and hurt feelings.

“Sara, why don’t you go pick out a movie?” Derek nudges her away.

“But, tata!” She shrieks. 

“I’ll help tata. I’ll make him feel better. You do get a movie and the fluffiest blanket you can find.” A calmness came over Derek suddenly.

“You be nice to my tata!” Sara yells and runs out of the room.

As if it were years ago, Derek drags Stiles into his lap. Like he’s given up, Stiles allows the treatment. He curls towards Derek and holds on for dear life. The pain floods out of Stiles in an almost physical form Derek can feel. Seeing Derek earlier in the day had been more than enough pain and somehow it got worse.

“Stiles, what’s wrong?” Derek cradles his head.

Stiles sobs harder, squeezing Derek. “I can handle being possessed but I can’t handle losing you. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Derek’s heart stops. A sort of hope builds inside of him. He didn’t know what it meant really, but at least he had something to work with. Stiles wasn’t gone. He still had a chance. In the grand scheme of things, he did build the house for Stiles and he went to therapy because Stiles told him. Every day he worked hard because he hoped Stiles would notice how hard he was working to make them work. 

“You didn’t lose me. I’ve been here building this house for you and our children.”

Stiles can’t help the chuckle that leaves him. It’s a sweet sound even though it’s so sad. Whatever the context, Derek wanted to hear Stiles in these walls more often. It’s all he ever wanted.

“It doesn’t change anything.” Stiles sits up, wiping his tears. 

Derek heart sinks all over again. Nothing in his life was easy. He shouldn’t complain, but he wanted something to go right. Just one thing.

“Why not?” Derek finds himself hesitating. He doesn’t want the answer, but he might need it.

“Just because I cry like a baby and confess myself to you doesn’t mean we can work. I don’t want to have false hope that something has changed. I can’t let that happen for me and Sara.”

Derek pushes Stiles up, unable to contain his energy to sitting. Or maybe it was to get rid of Stiles. Derek takes a deep breath and finally turns to look at Stiles. 

“Why can’t we try? I go to therapy. I have a safe house. I have done this all for you.” Derek didn’t mean to be so honest.

“That’s the thing Derek, you can’t base your life for me. It’s unhealthy and-“

“I’m unhealthy? I don’t cry at the sight of my husband. Yeah. Husband. We aren’t divorced. A choice you made. If you were done with me, you’d get rid of me.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Derek.” Stiles spits. “That’s our problem. We can’t talk like normal human beings.”

“That’s why we got together!” Derek throws his hands up. 

Stiles sinks, hurt written across his face. Derek can’t even think of a reason why the truth hurt. Stiles already knew. He’s smart. It wasn’t like Derek was treating him poorly because he wanted to.

“You think that’s why I love you? Because we argue all the time? Fuck you, Derek.” 

Stiles stands up and walks up to Derek, pointing directly into his chest. Derek remembers a time long ago when Stiles did the same thing. He did what he could not to smile at the memory. 

“You know why I fell in love with you? You were smart. Your sarcasm and dry wit matched mine. You could keep up with me and listened when I talked to you even if it was pointless. You rolled your eyes but always listened. You were damaged and hurting and it was so appealing to me. Your. Goddamn. Eyebrows.” Stiles points at each word. “Fuck you for being shallow. Fuck you and your eyebrows.”

Derek lets Stiles point at him. He allows Stiles to play with his heart while he speaks. Derek deserves it. He’s been in pain and poking at the wound makes his day just that much better. Stiles stares at Derek waiting for a response. He’s breathing heavily. Sara’s in the living room telling them to hurry up, but they can’t make out her words as they have a staring contest, caught up in their argument. 

“You and your damn mouth.” Derek whispers, glancing at Stiles’ mouth. 

Stiles licks his lips out of habit. Derek follows. Suddenly, Stiles steps back and looks down.

“We can’t be like this, Der.” 

Derek didn’t know he would miss his nickname until his heart skips a beat. Only Stiles could make a once happy name said with laughter and love into something broken. 

“So what do we do?” Derek asks painfully. 

“Daddy, let’s go!” Sara yells loud enough for her voice to finally break through.

“In a minute, please.” Derek yells back, something he never does to her.

He’s always within ten feet of her or walks to her to speak. Yelling was something new. Sara makes a growling noise in return. She doesn’t seem to notice the change. 

“We could try.” Stiles suggests hesitantly, glancing carefully at Derek. 

“I don’t know why I act this way with you. You drive me crazy. But I’m trying, Stiles. I can’t give you what I don’t have.”

“But will you try?” Stiles asks, like he’s trying to justify a thought that’s sparked in his brain.

“You’re getting your hopes up. Maybe you’re right. Maybe we can’t work.” Derek crosses his arms.

“So you won’t try? Then why am I here? Why don’t you just take me back to my car?” Stiles turns around to grab his ratty, red jacket. 

“I didn’t say that. Who’s putting words into whose mouth?” Derek walks and grabs the jacket from his hands. “Why are you being like this? What do you want?”

Stiles takes a deep breath and let’s go of his jacket. He turns to stare at Derek’s chest. They’re silent for a few minutes, Frozen playing in the background.

“I… I have to think about Sara.” Stiles says.

Derek practically burns a hole through Stiles. It was like Stiles to avoid what he was feeling or thinking. He could easily talk about everyone else but shut his mouth tight about his own being.

“That’s not what I asked.” Derek says.

Stiles keeps his mouth shut. He could so easily open his mouth. He could tell Derek how he felt if he just opened his mouth. But it was so hard. He was struggling as it was and now Derek wanted him to spill his soul out onto the table. The one foot of space between them didn’t give Stiles very much room to think either. They were close enough for their breaths to hit the others face. Stiles was still breathing too heavy. Derek looked calm and composed like he always did, like nothing bothered him. Stiles saw through the tough guy act. He could see the hurt in Derek’s eyes.

“I want my husband back.” He says on his breath. Like a flood gate opening, Stiles doesn’t stop talking. “I hate waking up without you. I’ll see something funny on my phone and I can’t share it with you. The only reason I even get up is because Sara needs her dad. And I could be with her on weekends but I can’t even look at you without hating myself for letting you go.”

Stiles’ voice gets louder and more certain as he goes on. Derek stops listening to him and begins to smile. Stiles doesn’t even flinch or stop talking when Derek brushes his thumb over Stiles’ cheek. Derek had missed Stiles’ rants. Most people hated it, but Derek always encouraged it. 

Derek couldn’t stop him from leaning in. It was a sudden force that overcame him. He gently kissed Stiles mid-sentence. Stiles doesn’t seem to mind, startled, but grabs ahold of Derek’s face to kiss him deeper.

They both know it’s wrong, that their lives were complicated and messed up. Everything was against them from the beginning. They were so similar and yet opposite. Stubborn and unwilling to listen to reason. At the beginning it had worked somehow. Like a duo of arguments. It was unhealthy. They both knew it, but their love was intense. They hadn’t realized how heartbroken they both were until they were back together, standing close in the kitchen Derek had built for Stiles. 

Stiles finally pulls back. “It can’t be like it was, okay? I can’t kick you out again. I will argue with you until you die.”

“Who says I’ll die first?”

Stiles raises an eyebrow. “Come on. I am of perfect health.”

“You eat cheese puffs for breakfast.” Derek points.

“I’ll have you know I haven’t eaten cheese puffs for breakfast in two weeks.”

Derek raises his eyebrow at Stiles. Stiles smiles and pushes Derek’s shoulder.

“My favorite Frozen song is on. Can I stay to watch?” Stiles backs up to go to the living room. 

“Stay as long as you want.” Derek follows him.

They sit on either side of Sara, Stiles joining in singing loudly. Derek watches fondly as Sara and Stiles lean into each other to belt out the lyrics. He knew there were issues and they’d have a lot to work on, but a step in the right direction was all he asked for. Maybe they wouldn’t work out. Even a few days with Stiles would be worth every second. 

Stiles finally felt like he could breathe again. Three years of a tight chest and thin air hurt like hell. Even for these few minutes, he had his family back together. He could see the difference in Derek just from the thirty minutes he argued with him in the kitchen. Stiles knew he had his issues too. Every day he raised Sara, the more he learned about himself. Maybe it wasn’t enough to make their relationship survive, but Stiles was willing to try anything if he was able to sit on the couch and look at the two loves of his life. He couldn’t ask for more.

“Hey, Der, you got any snacks?” Stiles asks.

“Daddy won’t let us eat on the couch.” Sara whines sadly.

“It’s a $2,000 couch.” Derek says like that justifies no snacks during movies.

“Why would you buy a couch for that much when you could buy $2,000 in snacks? Get bean bags. Cheaper. You can eat on them and then vacuum the crumbs.”

“You’re a child.” Derek scowls. “Maybe a caveman.”

“If I get crumbs on the couch, I’ll vacuum.” Stiles bargains.

“We have raisins.” Derek states.

Stiles sits up and looks astonished. “That is not a snack. That is poison I feed my dad.”

“Daddy doesn’t like junk. He’s like you. Except he doesn’t keep cheese-its behind the coffee.” Sara doesn’t even take her eyes off the movie. 

Derek raises an eyebrow at Stiles who shrugs. 

“I can’t help it. I’m just a skinny, frail boy. I need calories.”

“You weigh as much as I do.” Derek argues. 

“Shut up. I need junk. It’s what fuels me.”

Derek goes into the pantry and searches for something that’ll make them all happy. The closest he finds is microwave popcorn Cora had left behind. He pops two bags knowing Stiles will devour one by himself. Stiles practically melts at the sight of something crunchy.

“I’ll be stocking your house with sufficient snacks starting immediately.” Stiles stuffs his face with popcorn.

There was a long road ahead of them. Things weren’t perfect. One conversation didn’t mean a happy ending and both men knew it. They also knew the fighting was worth the fighting. After so much time apart, arguments were a godsend. The two men were happy to take it one day at time and sit with their daughter. They didn’t need to touch, knowing the other man was there with happiness spread across their face. Relief filled both of them even with the threat of more bad times to come. It didn’t matter. 

Nothing mattered except that they were together under the same roof even for a short amount of time. Stiles would still have to go back to his house and sit in silence until Sara came home. Derek would still have a few months, if he was lucky, where he’d have to live in the quietness of his home. He could only hope Stiles would see the changes Derek has made and move into the home built for the three of them.

Neither wanted to think of all the possibilities of the future. Smiling at each other while their daughter sings the wrong lyrics to the film was good enough for both of them, for just that one minute.

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed it a little bit. I worked hard on this for a weeks. I promised Tumblr it would be done a few days ago, but time slipped me. It took awhile to edit, there are still mistakes, but in editing, I added another 1500 words. 
> 
> Tumblr: creatingsterek (Side blog)
> 
> Thank you all!


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